Button-fastener



(NoMo'deL) E. D. STEELE.

BUTTON FASTENER. No. 316.305. Patented Apr. 2:1, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT Crrrcn.

EDWARD D. STEELE, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

BUTTON-FASTENER.

SEECIFICAI'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,305, dated April 21, 18.35.

Application filed January 6, 1885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. STEELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have inventedfcertain new and useful Improvements in Button Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved and novel construction of that class of metallic button-fasteners which are composed of a base or table having downwardly-projecting prongs, one of which is bent into a loop to receive the shank-eye of a button, and all the said prongs being adapted to be passed down through a fabric and he clinched upon the under surface thereof to secure the button thereto; and my improvement consists, essentially, in forming the metallic fastener from a blank composed of a head-bar having a single prong at one side and three prongs at the opposite, the head-bar being bent laterally I into a semicircular form, the cut edges of the which the fastener is tobe attached, the single prong being bent over and downward parallel to the other three prongs, thus forming a loop for the reception of the shank-eye of a button, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents the sheet-metal blank from which my improved fastener is formed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved fastener. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same.

In carrying out my invention the blank is cut from sheet metal of substantially the form shown in Fig. 1, consisting in the present instance of a narrow head-bar, a, provided with a single prong, b, on one side, and three prongs, 000, on the opposite, the cut edge of the head-bar a between the prongs forming two flat narrow bases or tables, a a, to rest upon the surface of the fabric to which the fastener is attached. The head-bar a is then bent laterally into an approximate semicircular form, the three prongs c c 0 remaining in an unbent condition. The single prong b is then bent from its junction with the upper edge of the head-bar into a loop, d, the end of the prong projecting downward in front of the line between the outer ends of the head-bar and at equal distance between said ends, all the prongs of the fastener being parallel to each other, forming the complete fastener, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The ends of the prongs are sharpened to more readily penetrate fabric in attachment.

A button is attached to fabric by means of my improved fastenerin a manner well known. The shank-eye ofthe button being carried into the loop d, the prongs are then inserted through the fabric until the cut edges a of the head-bar lie snugly on the upper surface. The prongs are then clinched on the lower surface of the fabric, thus securely attaching the button.

Having thus described with particularity one form of button-fastener containing my invention, it is evident that without departing from the spirit of my invention the number of prongs at the lower edge of the head-bar may be varied; also, the configuration of the headbar can be changed very considerably, being bent laterally into other forms than a semicircular, in every instance the prongs on the lower edge of the head'bar remainingunbent, the single prong having a single bendto form a loop, the end of the prong projecting downward in front of the line between the outer ends of the head-bar.

The advantages of my present improvement are apparent without a more minute description, the tension strain on the fastener being distributed equally on all the prongs, while only a small amount of metal is in view on the upper surface of the fabric, and that in such a form as to be practically unobjectionable. The device is easily and cheaply made. rapidly applied, and furnishes astrong, durable article, admirably adapted for the purpose contemplated.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A metallic button-fastener composed of a head-bar bent laterally and provided with prongs on the lower cut edge, the spaces between said prongs adapted to engage the up-' consisting of a head-bar provided with a single prong atone side and three prongs at the opposite, the head-bar being bent laterally into a semicircular form, the lower cut edge forming a base to rest on the surface of fabric when secured thereto, the single prong being bent to form a loop for the reception of the shank-eye of a button, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 25 in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD D. STEELE. Witnesses:

E. A. PENDLETON, D. M. DAVIS. 

